WORK has started on a £2m project to turn an infants' school into a community centre.

The former Newton Infants' School, Durham Road, Stockton, will reopen in September as the Newtown Community Resource Centre.

Refurbishment work on the building, which dates from 1906, began on Monday. When complete, the resource centre will be able to provide a permanent home for a number of community agencies.

The project is being managed by a steering group made up of residents and community groups. Backed by Stockton Borough Council, the funding has come from Government agencies and the European Union.

The centre will have training, meeting and counselling areas, and rooms can also be rented. A small cafe and several meeting areas are planned. Training and education will be delivered from the site, as well as youth services, child care, and advice and guidance services.

Jim Kane, of Newton Community Resource Centre management committee, said: "This is the culmination of three years of hard work and planning and, when complete, the new centre will be a wonderful facility for the people of Newton and surrounding areas. To ensure its success, all the services planned for the building are based on community surveys carried out in December 2001 and February 2003."